Astros Clinch AL West Behind Verlander

At last out Sunday, game-resting Jose Altuve ran onto the field to celebrate with his game-active teammates. His whole body language speaks loudly about the joy that comes from relief. “WE DID IT!” (This part of “IT”, at least.) Says the smile.

The Astros beat the Mariners, 7-1, to clinch 1st place in the 2017 AL West. George Springer and Justin Verlander had good reasons to thank each other for today’s win. Verlander won his 3rd start as an Astro – and Springer banged his 32nd HR in support. Where would the Astros be without these two guys, plus Altuve, Correa, and few others? I don’t know, but we wouldn’t be smiling today, not like we are.

Astros Manager A.J. Hinch hugs shortstop Carlos Correa, who caught the high pop fly that was the game’s last out. A.J.’s hug was for much more than his guy’s handling of a single pop fly.

Carlos Correa pauses for a nice interview by Julia Morales of AT&T Sportsnet. – Carlos also hit his 21st HR of the season to dead center today. It was his first long ball since the week prior to the All Star Game and the injury that took him out for so many weeks. His new tee-shirt was a popular post game change of jerseys for the Astros this happy Sunday in Houston.

ASTRO*NOTES. If you are a player, and you want a ring, you have be a member of the team that survives to win the World Series. Until then, every other win on the way is only for caps and tee shirts. And, frankly, that’s as it should be. In the big leagues, like in real life, you shouldn’t get a ring, a trophy, a watch or a car – just for showing up.

2017 AL WEST Champions is the Astros’ first division title in 16 years, the first since Astros icon and then manager Larry Dierker led the 2001 club to the title as Champions of the NL Central Division. To the best of our knowledge (:-)), Houston is the first double-league team to win division titles in both the NL Central and the AL West. We Astros fans owe a backhanded word of thanks to former Commissioner and newbie Hall of Famer Bud Selig for making it all possible.

Home Field Advantage Races. Sunday’s Houston 7-1 win over Seattle also was matched by Cleveland’s 2nd straight win over Kansas City by 3-2 on the same day. As a result, the Astros (91-58) remain 1.5 games behind the also new AL Central Division Champion Indians (93-57) for home field advantage throughout the AL Playoffs.

Hopefully, this table will show the race for home field advantage by league and overall for the World Series in an even easier way to see. It only includes those still possible playoff contenders who still have a snowball’s chance at the best scheduling rewards of the new system:

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE RACES, GB IN EACH

CLUB

W

L

W%

AL

NL

WS

DODGERS

96

53

.644

–

L

L

INDIANS

93

57

.620

L

–

2.5

ASTROS

91

58

.611

1.5

–

5.0

NATIONALS

90

59

.604

–

6.0

6.0

D-BACKS

87

63

.580

–

9.5

9.5

RED SOX

85

64

.570

7.5

–

11.0

CUBS

83

66

.557

–

13.0

13.0

YANKEES

82

67

.550

10.5

–

14.0

L= LEADER BY LEAGUE AND OVERALL.

Overall Leader gets home field advantage in World Series.

********************

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST STANDINGS

THRU GAMES OF SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

RANK

AL WEST

W

L

PCT.

GB

1 c *

ASTROS

91

58

.611

2

ANGELS

76

73

.510

15.0

3

MARINERS

74

76

.493

17.5

4

RANGERS

73

76

.490

18.0

5

ATHLETICS

66

83

.443

25.0

c * ~ Clinched 2017 AL West Division Championship, 9/17/2017.

With Cleveland also winning today, the Astros remain 1.5 games back of the Indians for home field advantage through all rounds of the AL Playoffs.

********************

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST GAME SCORES

THRU GAMES OF SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

ASTROS 7 – MARINERS 1

RANGERS 4 – ANGELS 2

ATHLETICS 6 – PHILLIES 3

********************

AMERICAN LEAGUE BATTING AVERAGE LEADERS

THRU GAMES OF SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

RANK

PLAYER

TEAM

AB

H

2B

3B

HR

BA

1

JOSE ALTUVE

HOU

554

193

38

4

23

.348

2

AVISAIL GARCIA

CWS

477

159

23

4

17

.333

3

ERIC HOSMER

KC

560

181

29

1

24

.323

4

JOSH REDDICK

HOU

461

145

32

3

13

.315

5

JOSE RAMERIZ

CLE

545

171

50

6

27

.314

6

JOE MAUER

MIN

483

148

34

1

7

.306

7

JOSE ABREU

CWS

579

177

38

6

31

.306

NR *

CARLOS CORREA

HOU

381

116

20

1

21

.304

8

LORENZO CAIN

KC

542

164

26

5

14

.303

9

ELVIS ANDRUS

TEX

592

178

42

4

20

.301

10

JONATHAN SCHOOP

BAL

573

172

33

0

32

.300

RANK

OTHER TOP 40 ASTROS

TEAM

AB

H

2B

3B

HR

BA

15

MARWIN GONZALEZ

HOU

420

123

30

0

22

.293

16

YULI GURRIEL

HOU

489

143

37

1

17

.292

17

GEORGE SPRINGER

HOU

505

147

27

0

32

.291

30

ALEX BREGMAN

HOU

513

143

35

5

16

.279

NR * LOST TIME ON THE DL HAS TEMPORARILY REMOVED CORREA FROM AN OFFICIAL QUALIFYING PLACE IN THE RANKING OF TOP 40 HITTERS.